Seeing the man's expression, Eunuch De waved for the young eunuch who had brought the meal to leave, and picked up the silver plaque beside him. "Your Majesty, shall this old servant taste it for you first?"
"No need. The food sent by Minister Xiao doesn't require this silver token." The emperor gestured with his hand and sat back down on the dragon throne.
My gaze swept over the three sweet potatoes and then settled on the roasted sweet potato on the far right.
"Yes." Eunuch De smiled and put down the silver token.
Then, picking up the chopsticks, I carefully peeled off the skin of the roasted sweet potato bit by bit, revealing the golden sweet potato flesh. The aroma instantly became even stronger, rushing straight to my nose.
The emperor took a deep breath of the aroma, smiled, and stroked his beard. "This roasted sweet potato is not only incredibly fragrant, but the flesh inside looks absolutely mouthwatering."
Eunuch De picked up a golden sweet potato with his chopsticks and placed it in the imperial bowl, saying with a smile, "This old servant just watched the people in the imperial kitchen cook this sweet potato. They boiled it in water and roasted it over charcoal. In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, both the boiled and roasted sweet potatoes were ready at the same time."
Upon hearing this, the emperor's eyes lit up even more.
Although he himself had never been on the battlefield, he knew that the soldiers stationed on the frontier lived a hard life, especially during marches and battles, when it was common for them to eat cold steamed buns and hard biscuits.
These sweet potatoes will be cooked in the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.
You can even just roast it in a fire.
This is practically made for soldiers in the barracks!
After tasting the roasted sweet potato, Junya's face beamed with joy, and he devoured the entire sweet potato in no time.
I also tried both boiled and raw sweet potatoes.
Fang wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and said "good" three times in a row, "Good! Good! Good! This sweet potato is truly a rare delicacy. Not only is it delicious, but eating just one will make you feel full. It is obviously many times better than rice and wheat."
Seeing that he had put down his chopsticks, Xiao Jinhan cupped his hands and added, "Your Majesty, I came in a hurry today. Raw slicing, boiling, and grilling are just the simplest ways to eat sweet potatoes."
If you want to eat something more refined, you can also use sweet potatoes to make dried sweet potatoes, sweet potato soup, candied sweet potatoes, and sweet potatoes with brown sugar. I have already told Eunuch De about all the methods.
Among them, dried sweet potatoes, if used in military camps, could even save soldiers' lives in critical moments.
"Yes." Eunuch De nodded in response. "The methods taught by General Zhennan are all very novel. This old servant has never seen or heard of them before."
Upon hearing this, the Emperor's eyes gleamed with admiration, "Minister Xiao truly lives up to his lineage as Prince Gong."
Not only was he able to single-handedly take down the enemy leader and retreat to the southern border, but he also signed a ten-year non-aggression pact with his own strength. Now he has discovered the miraculous sweet potato, which is truly a blessing for the people of our Great Yu!
"Whatever reward Minister Xiao desires, I will grant it!"
Grandpa De lowered his head, his ears perked up.
A sixteen-year-old second-rank Zhennan General is unprecedented and unique in the history of Yu the Great!
Now, they are offering sweet potatoes, a sacred food.
He is more than qualified to be promoted to the rank of Grand General of the Nation, a first-rank official!
Xiao Jinhan shook his head. "Your Majesty, I did come here to present sweet potatoes, but someone else found them. I was merely passing them on on their behalf."
The emperor was somewhat surprised, "Who found this sweet potato?"
Xiao Jinhan looked up, a barely perceptible trace of tenderness flashing in his deep eyes, “Su Hua, the youngest daughter of the Su family in Shanghe Village, Qingshui County, Tangshan Prefecture.”
"Oh... Su Hua from Qingshui County? So the one who found the sweet potatoes was a woman!" The emperor was taken aback. "Did this woman surnamed Su say what reward she wanted from me?"
He remembered that after Xiao Jinhan was poisoned by the Yellow Springs Poison, he returned to Qingshui County to recuperate. Thus, it was by chance that he found sweet potatoes with this Su family girl.
Xiao Jinhan cupped his hands and lowered his eyes. "Miss Su found a sweet potato valley by chance in the deep mountains and forests. After transplanting and planting the sweet potatoes, she saw that the yield was extremely high, so she asked me to present it to His Majesty."
However, she said she didn't want any reward, only that the land and rivers of Yu the Great be safe and sound, and that the country be prosperous and the people at peace!
The emperor was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter, "Excellent! What a wonderful wish: that the land of Yu the Great may be safe and sound, and that the country may be prosperous and the people at peace!"
Such a broad mind and spirit from a peasant girl is truly a blessing for Yu the Great and a boon for the people!
However, given that the Su family daughter has offered such a valuable treasure that benefits the country and its people, how could I possibly refuse to give even a penny?
The man pondered for a while, then his dragon eyes lit up slightly. "A few days ago, my palace received a batch of rare and precious antiques from Southeast Asia, including many unusual items that young girls would like. What do you think of this reward, Minister Xiao?"
Xiao Jinhan remained expressionless, as if deep in thought. "I have met Miss Su a few times and have never seen her wear any jewelry. Her clothes are also extremely simple. In my humble opinion, rare and precious antiques would be like casting pearls before swine to a swine to a cow."
Upon hearing this, the emperor casually stroked his beard. "Minister Xiao is right. These rare antiques may please the women of the capital, but for peasant families, they can only be kept on the shelf and are not practical."
I wonder if the Su family has any business to make?
How about I bestow upon her more gold, silver, and jewels?
Xiao Jinhan remained unresponsive, only saying, "As far as I know, the Su family owns a restaurant in Qingshui County that sells all kinds of food. People flock there from far and wide. It's not to say that they make a fortune every day, but it's enough to ensure that the family doesn't have to worry about food and clothing."
Moreover, this restaurant will soon open in the capital.
Your humble servant believes that gold and silver jewelry may not be essential for Miss Su.
Eunuch De listened from the side, his heart pounding wildly. In this world, the only person who would dare to speak so frankly with the Emperor, discussing, bargaining, and asking for rewards, was probably General Zhennan.
But since the General of Zhennan held a special position, the Emperor was happy to favor him.
His status was no less than that of the princes in the palace.
The emperor pinched the bridge of his nose, then looked up at the man. "Rare antiques are impractical, and gold and silver jewelry are unnecessary. In your opinion, Minister Xiao, what would be a suitable reward for her?"
Xiao Jinhan lowered his brows slightly, "In my humble opinion, of the eighteen towns under Qingshui County, eight or nine out of ten are mountainous with little arable land, and their annual output is always at the bottom of the list."
From initial trials to widespread adoption, the development of sweet potatoes must proceed gradually, starting with specific examples and expanding to broader applications.
However, the mountainous areas of Qingshui County are barren and unusable, and Miss Su has experience in planting sweet potatoes. It would be better to adapt to local conditions, designate Qingshui County as a whole, and have Miss Su lead the way in teaching the people how to grow sweet potatoes, thus making full use of the vast mountain forests.
That's a subtle and convoluted way of saying it.
However, the emperor was discerning and quickly understood. "According to Minister Xiao, you want me to bestow the title of Lady of Qingshui County upon the daughter of the Su family and grant her the right to govern Qingshui County as a reward?"
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